What does "hock" mean?
A Rhenish wine, of a light yellow color, either sparkling or still, from the Hochheim region; often applied to all Rhenish wines.
Hock
/hɑk/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A Rhenish wine, of a light yellow color, either sparkling or still, from the Hochheim region; often applied to all Rhenish wines.
- Grammar: hock is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: ankle, ankle joint, bail, bayonet legs.
- Useful contrasts: inhale, redeem, regain.
- Usage evidence: The U.S. is in hock up to its eyeballs.
How to use "hock"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hock" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "hock" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "hock" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hock" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "hock" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ankle" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "hock", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A Rhenish wine, of a light yellow color, either sparkling or still, from the Hochheim region; often applied to all Rhenish wines. countable, uncountable
"That night he strolled into the Palette Club about eleven o’clock, and found Trevor sitting by himself in the smoking-room drinking hock and seltzer."
- 2 The tarsal joint of a digitigrade quadruped, such as a horse, pig or dog. countable
"Anyway, you only have one golden retriever, SWORDDOG, and she is already armed to the hocks."
- 3 Pawn, obligation as collateral for a loan. informal, uncountable
"He needed $750 to get his guitar out of hock at the pawnshop."
- 4 Alternative form of hawk (“cough”). alt-of, alternative, informal
"One or two coughs signified 1 or 2. Clearing a throat meant 3. A loud hock was 4 and a loud sneeze or spit indicated 5. The new system gained favor. Jerry figured the guards must have thought the POWs were near death given the volume of bodily noise coming from Alcatraz."
- 5 The last card turned up in the game of faro. informal
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 tarsal joint of the hind leg of hoofed mammals; corresponds to the human ankle wordnet
- 7 Meat from that part of a food animal. countable, uncountable
- 8 Debt. informal, uncountable
"They were in hock to the bank for $35 million."
- 9 any of several white wines from the Rhine River valley in Germany (‘hock’ is British usage) wordnet
- 10 The hollow behind the knee. countable
- 11 Installment purchase. informal, uncountable
"Later, Uncle Doc bought a couch on hock, then a bed."
- 12 Prison. informal, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To disable by cutting the tendons of the hock; to hamstring; to hough. transitive
- 2 To leave with a pawnbroker as security for a loan. colloquial, transitive
"Agent Beeman (Noah Emmerich): I think we got him. / Special Agent Gaad (Richard Thomas): Who? / Agent Beeman: I-I-I don't know. The guy who killed Chris, the--the Russians, the whole damn thing maybe. / Special Agent Gaad: You want to sit down? / Agent Beeman: The guy from the salvage yard who hocked the ring, and he does business with some riffraff from the projects."
- 3 To bother; to pester; to annoy incessantly. US, informal
- 4 Alternative form of hawk (“cough, clear one's throat of phlegm”). alt-of, alternative, informal
- 5 disable by cutting the hock wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 leave as a guarantee in return for money wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The U.S. is in hock up to its eyeballs."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hock"?
Common synonyms include: ankle, ankle joint, bail, bayonet legs, bond, bottomry.
How do you use "hock" in a sentence?
The U.S. is in hock up to its eyeballs.
How do you pronounce "hock"?
Pronounced /hɑk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Clipping of hockamore, from German.
Etymology 2
From Middle English hough, hoche, hokke, from Old English hōh, from Proto-West Germanic *hą̄h, from Proto-Germanic *hanhaz, from Proto-Indo-European *kenk-. See also West Frisian hakke, Dutch hak, German Low German Hacke, Hack (“heel”); also Lithuanian ki̇̀nka (“leg, thigh, knee-cap”), kenklė̃ (“knee-cap”), Sanskrit कङ्काल (kaṅkāla, “skeleton”).
Etymology 3
From the phrase in hock, circa 1855-60, from Dutch hok (“hutch, hovel, jail, pen, doghouse”). Compare also Middle English hukken (“to sell; peddle; sell at auction”), see huck.
Etymology 4
From Yiddish האַק (hak), imperative singular form of האַקן (hakn, “to knock”), from the idiomatic expression האַק מיר נישט קיין טשײַניק (hak mir nisht keyn tshaynik, “don't knock a teakettle at me”).
Etymology 5
Probably imitative (a variant form of hawk (“cough”)), like hack (“cough”), although see that entry for more.